Just 25% of people trust businesses with data

Unbelievable. 25%? That's the results of an Information Commissioner survey out yesterday. It's quite a sobering figure for UK businesses and should really focus minds on the need to build trust in, what is clearly now, a core part of most companies.

Mistrust is never good for business. It can drive people away, and can also close the door to opportunity. Another statistic cited is that 25% (there's that number again) of people now use ad blockers online meaning a large number of advertising opportunities are lost to UK businesses.

Don't forget, trust and transparency are key themes of the General Data Protection Regulation which now looms just under 2 years away on the horizon (I think it's coincidental, but this survey does dovetail nicely on timing).

Now's the time then to take stock of these results, and to look at:

- how transparent we are as businesses

- what we collect and why

- how we keep it safe

- what, when and how we tell our customers what we do

If we start to look even at these seemingly basic issues, then we'll be moving into a world where we're more alive to what (if anything) we need to do individually in the next 2 years to ensure we're compliant.

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The survey, commissioned by the ICO, the UK's independent data protection regulator, shows only one in four people trust businesses with their personal information